I’m thrilled to work with Catapult again for my online course on mastering first-person voice. We’ll go deep into the mechanics and magic of creating a fully-fleshed fictional narrator. The course will also include one-on-one consultations by phone. Note that spots are limited, so sign up early.
Wednesdays from 8-10 p.m. ET, January 22nd to February 26th
Official course description:
The first-person voice in fiction is a live-wire between your characters and the reader. When it works, the reader feels the buzz behind the prose.
Throughout this workshop (open to both short stories and novel excerpts!), we’ll use observation, empathy, and diction to craft sentences that bring out our character’s particular, unique humanity (or inhumanity, if you want to go dark). And we’ll practice the time-tested method for achieving a memorable, effective first-person voice in fiction: revision, revision, revision.
We’ll look at examples of voice in fiction, ranging from the comic to the tragic, from the to calm to the monstrous. Our readings will include work by Donald Antrim, Kazuo Ishiguro, Lydia Davis, Martin Amis, Halle Butler, Gunnhild Øyehaug, Karan Mahajan, Mariana Enriquez, Matthew Klam, Garth Greenwell, and more.
We’ll also discuss texts from outside of literature, looking at how a single paragraph can convey a politician’s obfuscations, a celebrity’s attempt to charm, or an essayist’s regionalisms.
You’ll walk away from this course with a better understanding of the fundamentals of fiction, including character, story, and plot, as well as how voice relates and directs all of these aspects of craft.
This class will meet over our video chat platform. You will need to use Google Chrome to join your class meetings.
COURSE TAKEAWAYS:
Learning the fundamentals of fiction, including character, story, narrative development, and the technical aspects of craft
Each student will workshop two stories (or novel samples) during the course, and receive written feedback from me and fellow students
Becoming a sharper reader, seeing how writers like George Saunders and Sam Lipsyte achieve their effects—and learning how to spot the writers and books which can inform whatever it is you’re working on next
Learning how to work through the Fear of the First Draft and love the revision process
Practical advice on the “practice” part of the writing practice: learning how to maintain voice (and discipline!) for months- or years-long writing projects
Access to Catapult's list of writing opportunities and important submission deadlines, as well as a 10% discount on all future Catapult classes
